Tag Archives: London

Around London with Kids by Fodor’s

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Around London with Kids by Fodor’s

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This informational text presents the best of London in a fun and intriguing way for children. The book has separate sections labeled Fun Times A to Z, Best Bets, Something for Everyone, and All Around Town. Each section has a collection of related chapters to interest, teach, and inspire the reader to visit London. This book is complied based on mom, dad, and children suggestions. The suggestions are very helpful and unexpected to tourists. Each page offers the address, website, fees, hours of operations, and age appropriateness. For example, the passage about the Changing of the Guard gives a summary as well as a Make the Most of Your Times suggestion if you arrive and the area is already over crowded. The book explains the best view, when crowds are near the front, is the Wellington Barracks on Birdcage Walk (the guard is inspected at 11am before going to the Palace for the change ceremony). Around London with Kids helps parents and children plan their journey through London with a spark of excitement and fun. It makes the voyage seem manageable and affordable for families with all the inside tips and ideas.

Lives of the Explorers by Kathleen Krull

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Lives of the Explorers by Kathleen Krull

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Lives of the Explorers by Kathleen Krull tells the tale of a variety of explorers throughout history. The format of this book makes it manageable and interesting to learn about dozens of famous explorers in just a few pages. The author wants the reader to know the real story. Krull’s purpose is to start conversations about these explorers journeys, motivations, set backs, triumphs, and legacies. I appreciate her honest and descriptive voice.

This book is very inspiring. Many of these explorers were ridiculed, threatened, or exiled for their dreams of adventure. These brave men and women broke free from the stereotypes and cultural norms of their time to pursue something bigger than themselves. This kind of courage is important to share with students. With an diverse collection of explorers form across the world it would be easy to create reading circles for students to report or share what they learned from a particularly explorer. Students could also examine the cultural context of these heroes and determine how they might feel if they were in the same situation.

Lives of the Explorers contains authentic quotes and fascinating facts about each journey. There is also a section in each chapter labeled, Onward. This sections details results and impact of their exploration. This book is a great launch into deeper topics such as male and female roles, perseverance, loyalty, relationships, geography, and culture.

 

 

 

War Dogs: Churchill and Rufus

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War Dogs: Churchill and Rufus by Kathryn Selbert

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War Dogs: Churchill and Rufus by Kathryn Selbert shares the life of Winston Churchill through the eyes of his pet dog, Rufus. The layout of this book is unique. Each page has a short, but vibrant passage alongside an enlarged quote from Churchill (pasted on a sticky note). This makes the story feel more authentic and personal. Reading the actual words of Churchill brings in an element of truth and reality. His phrases are bold and noteworthy. These quotes could be used to inspire a connected unit of writing and grammar to the read aloud. The illustrations help the reader connect these bigger topics and actions to something tangible. The author does an excellent job discussing World War II with rich language and cohesive fluency. The word choice is purposeful and intriguing. The book comes full circle by beginning with an introduction of their relationship. They share walks and other daily activities together, but the book closes with, “Rufus and Winston share more than walks together. Walls that have crumbled from blasts and fire and rebuilt, and the streets are swept clean.” The book also contains an informational timeline of World War II events and a short biography and photo of Winston and Rufus. I highly recommend this book and will definitely use it to spark student interests and build background knowledge about World War II.

Emily Loughman – You Wouldn’t Want to be a 19th Century Coal Miner in England! A Dangerous Job You’d Rather Not Have

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51YHMxfd+rL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_You Wouldn’t Want to be a 19th Century Coal Miner in England! A Dangerous Job You’d Rather Not Have is written by John Malam. It is a historical fiction picture book all about Coal Miners in England in the 19th century. The book starts off with a simple introduction about what was happening in England and an explanation of what coal is and why we need it. The book informs you about children working in the mines, the tunnels, the cage that brings you down, and other scary aspects of older coal mining. However, the book does a great job lightening the mood with the authors word choice, and the fantastic drawings by David Antram. The book closes discussing the strikes and how the country looked like it would run out of coal! This book was perfect for children who would fall under the middle elementary ages. Not only can they read the book, but they can understand the book and appreciate it more than a younger student may be able to.